A Dream of Better Times
by Eventide
Summary: Rogue has a dream about a happier time. Or is it a nightmare?
1. End Game

Disclaimer: The X-Men are owned by Marvel, not by me. I'm not making any money from this, just hopefully an interesting story.  
  
Summery: Rogue has a dream about a happier time, or is it a nightmare?  
  
A Dream of Better Times Part I: "End Game"  
  
She was so weary. Thank God the battle was over, for now anyway. She collapsed onto her poor excuse for a bed and was asleep almost immediately.  
  
The dream made her smile. Such an innocent time, the past. So happy, so free. Funny how she could call that time "free". Back then, so-called normal people persecuted mutants out of fear and hate. Not to mention she had her own problems; unable to touch another human being, unable to hold hands, unable to kiss, unable to do anything a normal woman could do. But she didn't want to think of all that now. She just wanted to enjoy her dream.  
  
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It was summer, and all the X-folk were out enjoying the day. Rogue was on the volleyball court, Logan and Bobby on her team. They faced off against Remy, Storm and Beast. It was Rogue's serve.  
  
"Here it comes, y'all. Easy point." she drawled, her tone confident. After all, her team was ahead by three.  
  
"Mas non, chere. You over estimate yourself." the Cajun smirked, and was rewarded by her scowl.  
  
Logan chuckled deep in his throat, "Watch yerself, Gumbo. Or you'll be eatin' the ball."  
  
"I would agree with Logan, my Cajun comrade." Hank chimed "It seems unwise to anger a lady such as our dear Rogue."  
  
To prove their point, Rogue served the ball violently. It flew over the net and struck the ground at Remy's feet, exploding with a resounding "Pow!" Gambit jumped back, a look of shock on his face.  
  
" I believe that is end game" Ororo smiled, and picked up the tattered remains of the volley ball.  
  
Rogue had the grace to look sheepish. "Sorry. Ah guess Ah got a li'l carried away." She looked at Gambit apologetically, and his expression said she was forgiven.  
  
"So just one question." this came from Bobby. "Who won?"  
  
Both teams began to attest to their victory, but were interrupted by the Professor's mental intrusion.  
  
"X-Men, to the War Room! Quickly!"  
  
When they were all finally gathered into the War Room, the Professor turned on the television, without a word. The news was on.  
  
"...the all out assault on Washington came as a shock to citizens and politicians alike. The army of mutants, lead by the mutant terrorist known as Magneto, stormed the Nation's Capitol just moments ago. Taking the city hostage..."  
  
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Rogue turned in her sleep. Her voice crying out in weak protest. "No! No not again! Not again!"  
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"...the President has been ordered to release a statement. We take you now, live, to the President of the United States..."  
  
The screen flickered. Rogue, and the rest of the X-Men, watched it intently. She wondered if they, too, had this strange feeling of dread inside. On the screen the President nodded to the camera, then began his statement.  
  
"...My fellow Americans, I come before you under dire circumstances. I have been instructed to inform you all that not only has the city of Washington been captured, so have various notion capitols around the world..."  
  
"How could this happen?!" the outraged voice belonged to Scott. Rogue thought he looked so distraught. He was probably worried about Jean and the others who were away. The Professor held up his hand to silence him, and the President continued.  
  
"...as my last act as president, I do here by..." the president paused, swallowed, then looked back at the camera, with a look in his eyes that made the foreboding knot in Rogue's stomach tighten. "...beg the forgiveness of all the people of this world." Those in attendance chattered in confusion. The camera swung around, landing on Magneto. He looked puzzled, took one step forward, then there was the briefest flash of light, before the camera shut off. Only white sound aired on the screen.  
  
In the War Room the X-Men had gathered closer together. Rogue side-stepped to Remy, who put an arm around her shoulder. All eyes were on the Professor. And after a strained silence uttered only a few words.  
  
"Magnus, what Hell have you brought upon us?"  
  
  
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"No! Please! This can't happen! Not again! Ah don't.....!"  
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"Professor? Tell us what has happened." Storms blue eyes were pleading.  
  
His shoulders slumped. He'd never looked so sad, so lost, or so old to Rogue. "It.....is the end, my X-Men."  
  
His cryptic words rang true. The could all feel it. It really was the end. What phrase had Storm used? "End Game". Yes that seemed just right. It was end game, for all of them. Remy's hold tightened on Rogue's shoulder, and she turned into his embrace.  
  
"How?" The question had hung on all their lips, but only Bobby, the joker, the trickster, had managed to give it voice.  
  
"The missile they launched, was a new proto-type. Untested, and with good reason. It was believed that, once detonated, the radiation would travel outward on a shock wave, which would span the entire globe before dying out, infecting all life on earth." The elderly man looked down, defeated. "The effects.......will be genocidel."  
  
Rogue clutched Remy desperately, shaking with the fear of imminent death. He held her close, pressing kisses to her hair.  
  
"How long we got, Chuck?" Rogue looked to see Logan holding Ororo in his arms. His posture was defiant, but his eyes held the same fear as the rest of them. He was being brave for the woman he loved. The woman he loved, and who loved him. Strange how being faced with death put so much into perspective for people.   
  
"Mere moments I'm afraid." the Professor looked up, tears in his eyes. "I love you all, my children. No father could be more proud."  
  
They all responded in their own way. Rogue could only manage tearful nod, then buried her face against Remy's chest.  
  
"Je t'aime, cherie! Je t'aime!" She could hear his voice breaking as he pressed kisses to her hair and shoulders. Anywhere but her flesh.  
  
"Oh Gawd, Remy, Ah love ya too!" Tears flowed down her cheeks. She could feel the world around her begin to shudder. Time was up.  
  
"Rogue!" Remy lifted her face to his and their lips met, just as the shock wave struck them down.  
to be continued...  
  



	2. The Price of a Blessing

Disclaimer: All character's belong to Marvel, not to me. If you feel you must sue, then I can't stop you. But I've got about 4 cents to my name, so is it really worth all the that trouble? For a lousy $0.04?  
  
Author's Note: Rating was upped because of adult content, so readers beware.  
  
Summery: Rogue's dream continues.  
  
A Dream of Better Times Part II: "The Price of a Blessing"  
  
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Tears escaped from beneath her lashes, down her cheeks, mixing with the sweat that already dampened her hair. The dream had been so happy at first. Now it was a nightmare from which Rogue couldn't seem to wake.  
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When she had awakened, her first thought was: "Am Ah dead?" But the pounding in her head told her otherwise. "Well Ah'm pretty sure Heav'n don't got headaches, an' Ah'm damn sure Hell c'n do a lot better." She groaned and touched her fingers to her temples. Then it hit her; the others!  
  
She sat up, bits of mansion debris falling off her. A cursory glance revealed that the room structure was mostly intact. The ceiling had given way in one corner; a chair had fallen half way through the hole and stuck there. A wall had crumbled inward, the only things left of it were the support beams. Thanking God for small favors, she began to search for the others, most importantly, Gambit.  
  
"Remy? Remy?! C'mon sugah, answer me!" Throwing aside a large chunk of what used to be a wall, she found the Cajun's prone body laying face down. Gingerly she turned him over and checked for a pulse. Her clumsy fingers refused to land on the correct place, so she laid her head on his chest. "C'mon Swamp Rat. Make a gal feel welcome." The comforting sound of his heartbeat was her answer.  
  
"Remy? Wake up. Please, wake up." She shook him lightly and gently tapped his cheek, hoping to rouse him. His eyelids fluttered, then opened. Red on black. The most beautiful colors she'd ever seen.  
  
"Rogue? Rogue!" In one motion he sat up, pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Reality hit Rogue hard and she hastily pushed him away. But he didn't fall limp in her arms, as he should have. Their eyes met, a mixture of elation and confusion. She looked down at her hands. The gloves were torn, shredded, barely more than scraps of fabric the circled her wrists. She'd been touching him the whole time.  
  
"It must've been-"  
"The radiation."  
  
A sweet moment would have ensued if not for another icy wave of reality.  
  
"Oh Gawd! The others!"  
  
Within seconds they were both in motion, digging through piles of broken equipment and housing. Rogue was the first to find someone.  
  
"Logan! Storm!" They lay in each others arms, Logan's stocky frame slightly atop of Storm's lithe one. He'd been shielding her. Without further prompting, Logan's brown eyes opened. He sat up, pulling the still form of Ororo onto his lap.  
  
"Hey, Rogue." His brown eyes looked tired, but he managed to smile at her. "Glad ta see ya, darlin'."  
  
"Same here, sugah." she looked down at Ororo's unmoving form. "Is she...?"  
  
He nodded and Rogue let out a relieved sigh. "Yeah. She's alive."  
  
"Chere! Viens ici! Hurry! I found de Professor!"  
  
Rogue scrambled to her feet, stumbling through the room toward Remy. He held the professor in his arms. The look he gave her was not an encouraging one.  
  
"Oh no. No!" Tears filled her eyes, and she reached out a hand to touch the face of the man who'd brought hope into her life. It was true. Professor Xavier was dead.  
  
Remy laid him down on the table that had been the center of the War Room. Rogue watched as Remy wiped away tears that he'd never admit to.  
  
A low moan stole their attention, as Beast rose from a small pile of rubble. He didn't speak or acknowledge the others. Instead, he dug through the nearby debris and pulled out the still, lifeless body of Bobby Drake. Rogue let out a little cry of grief and sank into Remy's waiting arms, weeping against his chest. Hank moved with heavy steps to lay the body of his best friend beside that of the professor.  
  
Moments later, Logan found Scott. Hank had to extract him because Logan wasn't about to put down Storm. Remy was just as willing to release Rogue, who wouldn't have been much help at the moment. Scott was alive, but it was obvious that his condition wasn't good. After a brief examination, Hank confirmed that Scott had little time left.  
  
Not want to leave Scott alone, should he take a turn for the worse, the put him on the couch in the living room. Then they all sat together, including the since revived Storm, only feet from their dying friend. For a long while, it was silent.  
  
Rogue was the first to speak.  
  
"What're we gonna do 'bout Jean? An' Warren, an' Betsy, an' Bishop? We gotta find out if they're okay." She glanced over her shoulder at Scott. "An' Jean needs ta get back here. Fast. Before..." She stopped, her voice breaking. She had to keep it together. There would be time enough for tears later.  
  
Hank nodded his agreement, rising from the slightly scorched chair he'd occupied. "I'll try to salvage the communication equipment. If I can get any of it to work, I shall attempt to contact the others. I suggest one stay with Scott and the rest of you try and sleep. There may be little opportunity later."  
  
He was right. If and when they contacted the others, and buried their dead, they'd have to go find any survivors they could. They'd have no time to take care of trivial things like sleeping.  
  
It really wasn't decided that Logan would stay with Scott. More like he assumed the job, not giving anyone else the choice. But he was the best fit for the job. His healing factor had taken care of any discomforts he may have suffered, and his heightened senses would warn him if Scott's condition suddenly worsened.  
  
The three that were left, broke off to find somewhere decent to sleep. Rogue went down into the lower levels of the mansion. Here she found that most everything was in good condition. Being below the ground level had lessened the shockwaves effects. She couldn't help thinking that had they thought to come down here, Bobby and the Professor would still be alive, and Scott wouldn't be dying. She was so lost in her regretful thoughts, she didn't hear Remy come up behind her.  
  
"Chere? You okay?" He touched her shoulder, causing her to jump, startled. "Sorry, chere. Remy didn' mean to sneak up on you."  
  
Rogue didn't say anything, only glanced around at the room they occupied. They stood in a game room. An entertainment system stood against the far wall, stocked with every piece of high tech entertainment machinery money could buy. Bobby and Hank used to love playing video games here. Always joking and throwing playful insults. Bantering back and fourth. But Bobby was dead. He'd never joke or play or do anything again. When she looked at Remy again, her emerald green eyes shimmered with tears once again.  
  
"Oh Gawd Remy. How could this happen? How could Ah let this happen?" She covered her face with her hands, unable to hold back her grief.  
  
"Shh. It not your fault, Chere. You couldn't know dis would happen." He pulled her into his arms. He whispered comforting things to her, kissing the top of her head. She turned her face up and they kissed. It was long, tender and bitter sweet.  
  
"If this is the price of a blessin', Ah don't think it was worth it." Though the words stung her to say, they were honest. For the briefest moment she thought he'd become angry at her for saying such things, but all he did was brush her last tear from her cheek with his thumb.  
  
"Oui, but we won't waste it, chere." He kissed her again, this time it was hot and passionate. Rogue responded, know exactly where this was leading. He wanted her. She wanted him. There was no reason to deny it now, and no time to waste either. They wouldn't get this chance again for God knew how long.  
  
With shaking, clumsy hands they undressed each other. Skin to skin they explored, Remy's hands were like fire on her skin. Every touch brought her a new sensations, ones she'd never dreamed possible. He took her slowly, tenderly, knowing that her first time would bring some pain. But her discomfort vanished as quickly as it appeared. They rode the waves of passion together, until they soared over a climax neither knew was possible.  
  
Afterwards, they laid together, arms and legs entwined. Remy held her close, whispering his love into her hair. Despite all that had happened, and she was sure she'd feel guilty about it later, Rogue felt happy. Snuggling into the arms of the man she loved, more than her own life, she drifted to sleep.  
  
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"Rogue? Chere? Wake up." Remy knelt beside her cot, gently shaking her out of her dream. "C'mon chere. De others are waitin'."  
  
Rogue blinked, and sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Alright. Ah'm comin'."  
  
Remy noted the dark patches of color under her eyes and the slight puffiness of her cheeks. He reached out and cupped her face in his hand. "You dream 'bout it ag'in?"  
She nodded and he pulled her into a gentle embrace. "Don' you worry, chere. It'll get better."   
  
"Ah know." She gently broke away from his arms and stood. "Ya go on ahead. Ah'll be right there."  
  
He nodded and bent his head to give her a parting kiss. "Don' be long chere. Or de others, dey'll start to worry." With that he left.  
  
Rogue let out a sigh and moved to change her close, her mind on her dream. Would it ever go away? No, it would always be there, but it would get better, that she was sure of. She pushed all thoughts of her dream aside and quickly dressed. She couldn't dwell on trivial things like nightmares, she had a war to fight. People were counting on her to lead them. Walking quickly through the corridors of her stronghold she went to join her followers.  
  
  



End file.
